


and mirrors

by misura



Category: Sarai-ya Goyou | House of Five Leaves
Genre: M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 15:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2030727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Katsuraya, especially at night, is full of sounds and shadows.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	and mirrors

Katsuraya, especially at night, is full of sounds and shadows - Yaichi sits and smokes his pipe with easy familiarity, watching Masa start at every too loud sigh, every giggle, every moan; he should perhaps feel a certain amount of pity, he thinks, but the emotion won't come, hasn't come to him for a very long time now, if ever he was capable of summoning it (or so he keeps telling himself).

"Madame might give you a discount, if you ask her nicely enough."

An unkind thing to say, possibly even cruel; it's not desire that has caused Masa's face to flush, or his hands to lie in his lap, balled into helpless fists.

"I - " Masa begins, then shuts his mouth at a distant cry. (It _is_ distant; it might have come from the establishment next door.)

"Maybe you want some lessons, first," Yaichi says, and this, too, is unkind.

Still, he's seen Masa fight. Perhaps that's it; perhaps this mood of his is merely a wish to poke at a bee's nest until something happens. Until he gets stung.

(Bees, Yaichi recalls, die upon delivering their sting. So not the most fitting of comparisons, most likely.)

"No," Masa says. "But thank you for your kindness, Yaichi-dono."

Yaichi continues to smoke his pipe. It will be another hour at least before things will begin to quiet down, and the last, final customers of the day are often the loudest, the rowdiest.

Masa might be called upon, to throw them out, but probably not.

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

It's not an offer he intended to make, not tonight. Not so long as he's not sure of the answer.

"You?" Masa's face is still flushed. He gets to his feet awkwardly, as if his legs have fallen asleep during the time he's sat here, watching Yaichi smoke his pipe, trying not to listen to the sounds coming from behind the paper screens that surround them.

Yaichi rises more slowly, less awkwardly. They are still not of the same height, strictly speaking.

They are close enough, though, to enable him to reach out and draw Masa closer, to share the last of the smoke between them, breathed in and out again. It's a sharp taste, slightly bitter.

Masa's lips are very soft, like the rest of him, except, perhaps, his sword arm.

"If your services are required, you will be sent for," Yaichi says, stepping back. "Good night." Turning, and waiting for Masa to act, or react.

Knowing it is likely Masa will do neither, will, instead, bow and take his leave.

As he does.


End file.
